Astrid Hofferson x Male Reader

Chapter 6

Berk - Docks

(A lone, battered ship is pulled into a slip, overloaded with equally battered-looking men. They disembark to a crowd of onlookers, looking like a team of hometown heroes who just had their butts kicked. Gobber hobbles through the mumbling crowd to find Stoick, last to disembark and glowering with battered pride)

Viking: Where are the other ships?

Spitelout: You don't want to know.

(Stoick lumbers past Gobber, leaving him staring at the trashed ship)

Gobber: Well, I trust you found the nest at least?

Stoick: Not even close.

Gobber: Ah. Excellent.

(Gobber follows Stoick up the ramp and snags his duffle bag with his hook appendage, sharing the burden)

Stoick: I hope you had a little more success than me.

Gobber: Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then... yes.

(Stoick stops. What does that mean? A group of merry villagers rush past them)

Viking 1: Congratulations Stoick! Everyone is so relieved.

Viking 2: Out with the old and in with the new, right?!

Viking 3: No one will miss that old nuisance!

Viking 4: The village is throwing a party to celebrate!

(Stoick is stunned, overwhelmed by the insensitivity. He turns to Gobber)

Stoick: He's... gone?

Gobber: Yeah... most afternoons with Y/n. But who can blame him? I mean the life of a celebrity is very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans.

(Stoick is doubly confused)

Stoick: Hiccup?

Gobber: Who would've thought, eh? He has this... way with the beasts.

Stoick: What about, Y/n?

(Gobber laughs and pats Stoick's shoulder)

Gobber: All I have to say is when you decide to pass the reins to him, the village will be in his two very capable hands. It's better with Astrid by his side.

(Stoick smiles after hearing everything)

-----Time Skip-----

(Toothless and Hiccup soar through a perfect blue sky. Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles below them. Y/n and Astrid are flying above them looking down at them)

Y/n: Let's see how this goes.

Hiccup: Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.

(He checks a leather cheat sheet, clipped onto his harness. Inscribed upon it are several tail positions and their pedal position equivalents)

Hiccup: Here we go. Here we go... position three, no four.

(He presses the pedal, causing the tail to flare. They roll off into an arcing bank, gloriously lit by the late afternoon sun. Hiccup tucks tight against his neck, thrilled that his new harness and vest are holding. The foot controls make the tail appendage quick and responsive. He watches Toothless' every fluctuation, trying to match it with the prosthetic. Hiccup sizes up a target, a towering arch of stone, rising from the sea)